So today I'm telling you that you can have an awesome bowel movement and it simply involves changing your body mechanics. We can't change our toilets; they're situated at a fixed height. What I'm teaching you today is how to change your body position for the best and easiest bowel movement.
What's this big secret? Well, not a secret at all. Our bodies were designed for it, but we simply stopped practicing it: The full squat.
The squat is an amazing position that our bodies were designed to do. I don't think I realized how big of a difference it would make until I did a little back-country camping on unofficial camping sites - meaning, no thunder boxes. You had no choice but to take a little shovel with you and squat in the woods. I managed to find an area with a huge root of some sort coming out of the ground, much like the squat bars women find in hospital delivery rooms for birthing. In this position, you are giving your body the most favourable position for elimination.
Sitting with your knees at a 90-degree angle can actually work against you by "pinching" off or restricting passage through a section of the colon. It's another reason why the squat position is favourable for birthing; you're creating the most favourable position (smooth muscles, ligaments, general pelvic floor) for elimination.
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| From: Squattypotty.com |
How do you do it?
Easy: Take a step stool (like the Rubbermaid ones we all have in our homes) and place it in front of your toilet. Alternatively, you can purchase a Squatty Potty that has a slightly better design. Step up on the stool and using support as necessary (some of us are not used to squatting that deeply), lower your pelvis (sans pants) to the toilet. Knees should be nice and bent and you should feel a lessening of pressure in your pelvis (this is part of the magic).
What will you notice?
1) Less straining. That poop will leave your body without a fight. Just a smooth train out of your body and into the bowl.
2) This also means less chance of getting hemorrhoids, less chance of fissures and of bleeding.
3) You will likely poop faster because there is less resistance.
4) You should feel like your bowels have been evacuated. Sometimes we feel like we just didn't get everything out. Well, this will decrease that likelihood.
This form of elimination is also quite helpful for people who suffer from constipation and hemorrhoids, as you're decreasing the internal pressure from fecal matter. Try it out. You have nothing to lose, other than poop, just be mindful of your body and make sure that you're lowering and lifting your body on the stool safely. No one wants to get injured while on the toilet.
Happy pooping!
